Jesus, Mary, and Joseph: I really couldn't make this up.
It's like what Cheech and Chong should be making movies about, not something I read on the internets posted as real news.
And I'll make it quick - no need for in-depth analysis here. Rank stupidity brought to you by those stupid bastards in the US Federal Government: still reefer mad after all these years.
Feds Imagine Marijuana Growers Will Launch Terror Attack
According to an account published in the local paper the Redding Record Searchlight, the Shasta Dam scenario had the "Red Cell" pot grower/terrorists blowing up the car and bus to create a distraction and then taking over the dam. Holding three people hostage, the terrorist pot growers then threaten to flood the Sacramento River by opening the flood gates unless their imprisoned comrade is freed.
*****
According to bureau spokesperson Sheri Harral, the drill took 18 months of planning and cost the bureau $500,000. The other emergency and law enforcement agencies that participated paid their own expenses.
Of course, there are no known acts of "marijuana terrorism" outside the US Government, DEA, and general Law Enforcement Official Jihad against the useful and popular plant, but these particular wipers of other people's bottoms managed to concoct a scenario so stupid, I could not make it up.
I feel I MUST bring to YOU this day for your amusement and, hopefully, to raise your ire jusssssst a little bit, by reminding you - again - how abysmally stupid marijuana prohibition is, what a massive waste of money it is, and what a miserable and useless drain on expensive law enforcemet resources it is.
Not that anyone cares about money in this country....
I just LOVE how this country is so strapped for cash we have to endure threats to wiping out Social Security, banks are failing, credit has yet to recover from the massive scams that killed it 2 years ago - but we have got money to burn when it comes to maintaining reefer madness!!
You, the kind American taxpayer spend somewhere between $20 billion and $50 billion a year - depending on your accounting - to maintain this stupid shit.
Dale Gieringer, head of California NORML, had this observation regarding this sad little escapade:
"That was so stupid," he sighed. "I don't know what inspired it. I can see the need to do better pat downs for air travelers to make sure they're not holding joints in their underpants, but this? It sounds like something some yahoo red county sheriff would dream up."
And this country is FILLED with yahoo redneck sheriffs and other law enforcement entities, whose shirts and badges are constantly flecked with spittle from their reefer mad rantings because they are expected to believe this horseshit.
It's the 21st Century people.
It IS America so you are free to believe whatever you want and you don't have to have the first intellectual defense of it, but people who still believe the law enforcement/US Federal Government line on marijuana are NOT. VERY. BRIGHT.
Reefer madness makes Teh Stupid. And Teh Stupid will cost you money.
As evidenced by this ridiculous raid.